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For those trying to eat more locally-grown foods, October is a time of happy abundance; farmers have turned all their energies to bringing in the harvest, the fruit of many months of heavy labors. But the chill in the air reminds us that the seasons continue to shift, and before long the harvest will end. Visit the market now to enjoy fall’s bounty and to support the local farmers who have spent the year, and a challenging growing season, growing such delicious food.
Ida wearing boots
Featured Vendors
Our intern Anne reports on her latest interviews with vendors at the market:
Fraser’s Garlic Farm
Have you ever seen a kohlrabi? It’s round, but not smooth. Green, but not too green. In Ed Fraser’s family, kohlrabies are popular for eating raw with dips or cooking in any number of ways which he will explain if you ask. He describes them as nutritious and versatile, crispy like an apple, yet cabbage-like in flavor. The day I was there, Ed had samples sliced, and one customer gave the sample “two thumbs up.”
But the kohlrabi wasn’t the only thing displayed on the table in front of Ed as I interviewed him. There were radishes, red peppers, shallots, eggs, and nasturtiums (an edible flower). And not surprising because of the name of the farm, there was also a lot of garlic. As I stood at the booth, two customers bought half a pound of garlic (about 5 heads) each. That seems like a lot of garlic, but Ed has sheets of information on how to store the garlic so that it will last as long as possible.
Although the kohlrabies were a more interesting topic than many I have in my daily interactions, there was another topic that I enjoyed hearing about even more. Ed’s two daughters, Clare (10) and Sara (7), regularly help out at the market, and even have their own little farm, which they have named Paradise Farms. Like everything at Fraser’s Garlic Farm, Paradise Farms products are grown organically. The girls sell their items, including the nasturtiums listed above, at the market. Ed says that his girls know how to eat nutritiously, weigh products and can make change for customers. In fact, as I spoke to Ed, Clare was helping out another vendor for the day. Sometimes as I walk around the market, I see Clare alone at the booth. When I walk up and ask if she’s in charge, she smiles and nods. Ten years old and she has already learned customer service and retail skills that a lot of people twice her age are still trying to learn.
Be sure to stop by and visit Ed Fraser and his family the next time you’re at the market. Stock up on some garlic for the upcoming cold months (oh no, are they already here?) when warm flavorful food seems so important and such a simple pleasure.
Nissen’s Honey Farm
Did you know that bees communicate through a very complex dance, which Craig Nissen of Nissen’s Honey Farm told me is called a “waggle dance”? Well that’s the first thing that I learned when interviewing Craig.
Did you know that there are different flavors of honey? Maybe you did, but up until a few weeks ago when my grandmother asked for honey, I didn’t know. I figured it would be as easy as picking out a size and being on my way. But Nissen’s has Clover, Wildflower, Late Summer Blossom, Fall Flower, and Buckwheat, and that’s just in liquid honey. Then there is creamed honey. Then, yes, you also get to choose a size. There are a lot of choices when it comes to honey, but luckily when you visit the Nissen’s Honey Farm booth, you can sample the different flavors and see all the sizes. In addition to the honey, you can also pick up lip balm, hand salve, candles, or a gift basket.
Craig Nissen started his farm when his wife came home with a jar of honey. He thought that keeping bees sounded like a good idea, and we sure are glad he did. Even if you’re someone like me, who doesn’t run away from bees screaming, keeping bees seems like a complicated thing to start doing. But Craig learned from a mentor, mostly over the phone, how to keep his bees. When I asked if there are any sustainable practices for keeping bees (since I don’t know anything about bees past what I learned in Bee Movie), Craig told me that he uses powdered sugar in the hive in order to get mites off of the bees. It became very clear to me during the interview that Craig knows so many interesting things about bees. If you get a minute, be sure to visit him and ask a question or two because you might learn something new.
And while you’re asking questions, buy some honey (Fall Flower is my current favorite). Raised Jewish, I have been eating my honey lately on apples to bring in the New Year, but my friends seem to like their honey on toast, in tea, and baked into cakes. Any way it is eaten, it’s a hard thing not to enjoy.
